That Very Mab

First published anonymously in 1885, That Very Mab is a brilliant, long-forgotten satirical masterpiece brought to life for modern listeners. Co-authored by the razor-sharp poet and social activist May Kendall and the legendary folklorist Andrew Lang, this whimsical yet biting tale delivers a profound critique of human nature, progress, and the loss of wonder.
The story follows Queen Mab—the immortal sovereign of dreams and magic—as she is forced to flee her sacred islands due to the encroachment of rigid modern missionaries. Believing that England, a nation of advanced culture and education, will welcome the world of imagination, she sets sail for the British shores.

Instead, she lands smack in the middle of late-19th-century London.

What follows is a hilarious and thought-provoking culture clash.
Through Mab’s innocent yet piercing gaze, Kendall and Lang systematically dissect and dismantle the absurdities of the Victorian era. No intellectual trend is safe: from stuffy professors who weaponize Darwinian evolution to explain away human creativity, to hypocritical theologians, and high-society elites who reject traditional folklore only to obsess over bizarre occult fads like esoteric Buddhism and telepathy.